It's Always Better When I'm With You
by xXDark.Lord.MeloniousXx
Summary: Two-shot for Stan and Kyle; a single argument between him and Wendy triggers a chain-reaction in Stan forcing him to confront a side of himself he always pushed away.
1. Always Better When

**A two-shot for Stan and Kyle. :D Gosh I luff them.**

* * *

"Okay? I'm sick of it."

Stan huffed, his hands shoved in his pockets as he rolled his eyes, "Wendy, I'm not just gonna ignore Kye because you've got jealousy issues."

She glared at him, making him back away nervously and drop his confident charade, "Excuse me, Stanley, but isn't that what you're supposed to do? Boyfriends make sacrifices when the girl they love asks them to! And why do you always call me 'Wendy', but you call Kyle by a nickname!? It gets me so angry!"

"Kyle's nickname?" Stan's brows sprang up, "Why?"

"Stan, it's significant! Most couples call each other by pet-names!"

"Well…why?"

"Because girl's like to feel like they belong to their boyfriend! It's like a name-tag, something that only the one they love can call them! The fact that you call him by a nickname and not me…it's…it makes me stress out!"

Stan huffed again, throwing his arms in the air, "Why?!"

"Stan! What if we were doing it and you called out 'Kye' instead of my name!"

"Whoa, Wendy, _not _right!"

"Well, then why would you nickname your friend!?"

"It's not a nickname, it's just his name shortened! It doesn't mean anything to him, it's just his name!"

"Whatever, Stan. This is my block, so I guess I'll talk to you later."

With that she stormed off and left Stan on the street, wondering why girls couldn't subdue their anger towards him. He sighed and turned around, unconsciously heading to Kyle's house. He was fifteen now and could hardly keep his head straight around his on-and-off girlfriend when she ranted like that. As he watched the sun slowly setting beyond the houses he passed across the street, he thought about his Jewish friend. He felt bad thinking about Kyle after seeing Wendy; it was as if he could hardly wait to get away from her to just reunite with his friend. Living in South Park wasn't an easy thing, certainly, but when Kyle was near, nothing was wrong. Kyle always had something smart, something nice to say, something interesting to do and he was so righteous. Kyle was highly intelligent, responsible and always honest, his loyalty completely undying and so one would think that Kyle would have girls all over him. He would too, if he wasn't so pretty. Stan smirked as he thought of that word describing his friend; it was true, though. Kyle was pretty. He was simply too beautiful compared to the girls at school, and so they were intimidated and never talked to him.

It didn't seem to bother Kyle, though. Stan thought he would ask about that when he got to Kyle's house. He let the thoughts of the redhead consume him, as the orange suffocating the sky only reminded him more of his Super Best Friend. He was such a perfectionist; his skin freckled, completely clear and smooth, almost sparkling with cleanliness, his ears always cleared of wax, his body virtually hairless and in perfect shape. His brows were shaped like a girl's, entirely naturally, but it still made Stan chuckle when he thought about it. Kyle's fro had cooled down, and now his curls hung from his head like a ribbon that had been twisted around someone's finger for a long while. He had twenty or so curls all over his head, and they all seemed to sprout from the middle and fall over each other like a waterfall of marmalade. They complimented Kyle and his pretty face and his straight, pearly teeth and his thin, but fit body. Kyle truly was an extraordinary machine. Stan was an inch or two taller than Kyle and it bugged him when Stan teased him about it, but the only thing hotter than Kyle was a provoked Kyle. Stan blushed that moment, erasing that thought and setting it aside as a mistake by blaming it on sleepiness.

Thoughts like that would creep up on Stan from time to time; scare him when he was with his girlfriend. He finally approached the front door of the Broflovski's, knocking loudly. He knew he wouldn't disturb anyone, as Kyle was home alone for two weeks while his family went off on a trip to meet Ike's birth-mother. Kyle said he didn't want to meet her; that he couldn't stand to see a woman so feeble and scared of commitment and mothering that she ran from it. Stan wanted to tell Kyle to calm down and simply tag along quietly, but Kyle was allowed to have his own opinions, so Stan remained silent when the topic rose. He knocked again, but there was still no response. He resolved to walk to the side of the complex and climb the tree that would lead to Kyle's bedroom window. The window, was of course, always open for Stan and he immediately welcomed himself into the dimmed room. He found that no one was on the bed he landed on and continued to exit the room and turn down the hall. He saw the door to the master bedroom, Kyle's parent's room, slightly ajar. He ventured very silently into the room; it was just as dimmed as Kyle's room, but like the imprint of a snow angel in four-feet-deep snow, Kyle was spread across the top of his parent's puffy covers.

Stan smirked, walking over to the boy to find he was glistening from a recent shower, but seeing as some of his satin curls were dried already, Stan assumed it hadn't been too recent. He spotted the abandoned ipod ear-buds beside his head and the quiet hum of Ben Folds Five's "Missing the War" still escaping them. He looked down at the pretty face of his friend, his complexion was subtle, beautiful, light but not yet pale. His freckles were sprinkled ideally; a soft hue of cinnamon that was only just visible close up. His lashes and brows matched his tangerine locks and his cute nose was without a bump or lift; like a teddy-bear. What caught Stan's attention the most, though, were the brimful, thick lips that his sharp, boyish face wore perfectly. They were slightly parted and pink from heat-exposure. Stan lifted his hand from his jean-pocket and very hesitantly ran his thumb over them, his heart pounding in his ears. The drum in his chest missed a beat as he felt the boy's full lips barely move into a kiss against his finger with a hushed noise. He instantaneously pulled his hand away with a gasp, which was sudden enough to call his friend to awakening. With a groan the redhead inquired,

"Stan?"

Stan flustered as he recalled just how much he loved the sound of his friend's ragged, low, just-woke-up voice.

"Y-yeah. It's me, dude."

The boy sat up, rubbing the back of his head as he released a yawn, "Dude, what're you doing here?"

"Do you even know what time it is?"

One of his feminine brows sank with a painfully adorable pout replacing his semi-frown, "Uhm…like…eight?"

"More like four."

"Oh." He smirked.

Stan sat beside his friend, trying to erase the few minutes prior to the normal interaction,

"So what's up? Are you still gonna cut school for this week?"

"Yeah, I need a break. It's terrible to say, but I love it when they're gone."

"Yeah, well, it's every kid's dream to get the chance to cut two weeks of school without getting in trouble." Stan scoffed.

"Yeah. I've got it good this month. What about you? Why'd you come over?"

Stan sighed, rolling his eyes, "Ugh, Wendy's being a bitch again."

"What'd she do this time?"

Stan fell onto his back, slipping his loose shoes off and closing his eyes although he wasn't tired, "I don't even know. She's angry that I call her by her name."

"What?"

"I know! I don't get it either!"

Kyle chuckled, "I told you she'd be annoying if you got back together with her, now she thinks she can walk all over you and still get you in the end."

Stan groaned, holding onto his forehead, "I know, I know, you're so right and I'm so wrong, anything else new?"

Kyle's all-knowing face sank into a dejected expression as he muttered, "I didn't mean it that way, dude."

Stan moved his hands into his ebony hair before sighing deeply and opening his eyes. Kyle had decided to lie on his stomach, his round and dampened shoulders near his ears while his dexterous hands cupped his chin. Stan drank in the image of his teenage Super Best Friend, covered only by a dark green towel around his waist. With the weather South Park received for majority of the year it was rare to ever see any flesh, especially on the boys. The sight of Kyle's body sent an army of caterpillars through Stan's throat and into his stomach where they built cocoons and imploded into an ocean of butterflies. He hoped it was simply because seeing any skin whatsoever in South Park was a delicacy. Kyle planted his crossed arms on top of Stan's stomach, resting his head on the intersection of his forearms which earned Stan's attention again,

"I didn't mean it that way."

"A-alright." The charcoal-haired boy stammered.

"It must be rough having a girlfriend, so don't listen to my criticism. I don't know the first thing about dating."

"What about Bebe?"

Kyle snorted, "Yeah. I was ten, we never even kissed. Not to mention she's totally hot for Wendy."

"What!?" Stan laughed.

"Yeah, dude," Kyle's grin spread, "can't you tell? I mean, they're always together, Bebe's always ogling her and always breaking up with her boyfriends. It's totally obvious. If I were Wendy's boyfriend, I'd be nervous."

Stan tried to hold back the cackle, but his lips tight hold broke and he held his head again as his humor filled the room. He could feel the vibration of Kyle's chest against him and it allowed his senses to calm and concentrate on the feeling of Kyle's body on his. His laughter died out into a smile as Kyle suggested,

"Dude, you should sleep over."

"What are you talking about? We've got schoo—sorry, _I've_ got school tomorrow."

Kyle stuck his tongue out, "Come on, I'll call us both in sick. I bet I could do an imitation of your mom!"

"Dude, no way, we'll get caught!"

He blushed as he felt Kyle's foot play with his as he begged, "Please, Stan! I promise we won't, I'll make sure the Attendance Office buys it! I'll be so bored if you don't hang out with me while I'm cutting!"

"Dude, you're cutting two weeks! There's no way my mom won't notice I cut two weeks!"

"Come on, what's the worse that can happen?"

"We get caught and get in-school suspension for cutting!"

"Exactly." Kyle smiled, "That's nothing. They even allow ipods in in-school detention. It's the same thing as cutting, except your parents know and you sleep."

Stan was still skeptical, but the adoring face Kyle had painted on, the hopeful emerald eyes that had swallowed all of Stan's comprehension and the playful battle between their feet forced his mind to draw a blank. All he could think of was worshipping the image in front of him, the beautiful, perfect boy in front of him. Finally Stan sighed and looked away in hopes of bleaching the red that stained his cheeks,

"F-fine, whatever."

"Don't be so nervous. It'll be fine, I promise. You and me will have a lot of fun either way; if get caught we'll just torture the Dean. Not to mention their supervision is pretty poor, we'd probably end up leaving." Kyle laughed.

Stan simpered, looking back to the cheerful jade eyes of the freckled teenager. Kyle was normally the one to be so anxious, but something had Stan on edge that day. He blamed it on his fight with Wendy and pushed it aside with his brain's strange comment on an angered Kyle. He couldn't help noticing the overwhelming disappointment that washed over him when Kyle rose off of him and turned around. He turned on a slight angle, telling Stan,

"I've had a really slow Sunday, and I was just getting dressed when I decided a nap was a lazier idea. So, I'm gonna get dressed and then you and me should go to your house to get your stuff. Maybe we could stop by the rental-place and take out some horror movies too. It's supposed to be a big thunderstorm tonight, so it's a perfect night to scare the shit out of each other."

Stan beamed; Kyle was a genius.

"Alright, I need a snack anyway, so I'm gonna go raid your kitchen for something good."

"Mmhmm." Kyle nodded as Stan rose off the bed and left for the door.

Something was tingling in Stan's feet, slowing him and that strange sensation ran up his legs, leaving a warm throb near to his thighs before traveling upward and tickling his chest and neck. It flooded his face, waves of heat washing over his cheeks before he, without much control over the movement, turned his head slightly to look back at Kyle. His back was turned to Stan, his waist was tilted and his athletic back was curved with all of the defined muscles glistening. His boyish shoulders were slanted, his elegant neck turned just enough to allow Stan to admire his stoic lips and tangerine curls hugging his jaw. His arms were spread by the elbows out, holding the towel open as a barrier from Stan's curious eyes, his hairless legs barely parted and rather than rugged and manly, they were girlish in the way they seemed to dance rather than walk. Not even dance, Kyle floated from place to place, like an angel jumping clouds. He blushed furiously, finally leaving the room and wondering why it took him so long to do. He pushed that aside as a dead-air moment in his brain activity and descended the stairs into Kyle's kitchen. He poured a glass of water and stole some cookies from a plate of them that sat near the sink.

When Kyle and him reunited, Kyle's hair was dry and he was dressed; as they grew older their outfits only changed slightly. It was hard to be into fashion in South Park as there was only one type of weather. Nowadays Kyle wore skinny jeans and converse that matched his three different jackets. The converse were a dark green plaid design that matched the front flip of his Ushanka while his jeans were an average denim. He wore a light-green belt that corresponded with the overall color of his hat while his coat was still orange with the dark green collar. It took on more of a scene-look now, as Kyle bought the same kind of jacket every time, but did replace the old ones as he grew. Stan had remained in normal pants, but his taste in shirts switched to tighter fashions as he liked to flatter his football-toned chest and arms. His jacket and hat, though, just as Kyle, hadn't changed much. They left Kyle's house and raced to Stan's; although Stan was strong and fast, Kyle was on the track team and surpassed him in speed. Stan asked his mother if he could stay with Kyle for the two weeks his parents were gone, because otherwise Kyle would be all alone. She gave it the okay immediately, as Desperate Housewives was on and she couldn't talk.

They rolled their eyes at her, but thanked her. Stan packed a heavy percentage of his wardrobe, as he needed a stash at Kyle's house for the entire two weeks. They did hit the rental place before going back to Kyle's and when they made it back to his house Kyle dreadfully announced he forgot to take the key with him. They both climbed the tree and as Kyle pulled the luggage in from the thick branch and dropped it on his bed, Stan remembered the question he had for Kyle from earlier that evening…

"Hey, dude…you know how you don't have a girlfriend?"

"Thanks for reminding me, man."

Stan chuckled, "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Kyle grinned, "what about it?"

Stan's expression was still smiling, but softened as he inquired, "Uhm…why don't you mind?"

"Why don't I mind what?"

"Not having a girlfriend."

Kyle didn't need to think for more than a second before he answered gently, "It's not that I don't mind, really…it's just that…it's always better when I'm with you."

Stan blushed, his heart missing another beat as that strange sensation throbbed in his upper-thigh again. Kyle didn't allow a response as he gripped Stan's wrist and dragged him in through the window. Stan landed roughly on his chest and face, throwing Kyle into a fit of laughter. Stan cursed him and Kyle giggled an apology; most friends would fall into playful banter, but Stan and Kyle weren't like most friends. They never insulted each other without good cause, so there was a constant understanding of fondness. The scary movie they picked, to their great displeasure, wasn't at all frightening and so they talked over the dialogue. They played "Never Have I", "Ten Questions" and they moved onto asking each other ridiculous questions, such as,

"Dude, what if I was a magician?"

"A magician?!" Kyle scoffed.

"Well like…a wizard, that's what I meant."

"I don't know! If you were a wizard it would depend on what kind of wizard you were! If you were like, a fucking Harry Potter wizard I could ask for different shit compared to a Houdini kind of wizard!"

Stan was grinning as he sighed, "Fine, fine, so touchy."

"Well those differences count!"

"Yeah, yeah, you're so technical!"

Kyle rolled his beautiful eyes, "Okay, what if…okay, what if we got in a fight with Satan, right?"

"Okay…"

"And he gave you—"

"Me or you or us?"

"You."

"Okay."

Kyle's smile spread as he continued, "And he gave you two choices to live out the rest of your life, okay?"

"Yeah?"

"Alright, because we 'both' got in the fight with him, I'm punished, because I'm the Jew, and he sends me to a whole other dimension in space and time—"

"You've been thinking about this all day, haven't you?" Stan chuckled.

Kyle playfully hit Stan's shoulder before laughing out, "No! Now, listen!" He paused to sigh, "Okay, so you're first choice is that you can go searching for me all across the universe for all eternity, because he's the devil and he'll never let you just find me, or choice two; you can go back home and marry a less-of-a-bitch Wendy and pump out a few babies before eventually dying in your sleep."

Stan immediately replied, "I'd go after you."

He watched as the grin Kyle was sporting fell away and his face was painted in flattery, "Really, dude? You'd…you'd do that? Why? Why wouldn't you go home?"

Stan planted both of his hands on Kyle's shoulders, smiling at the bewilderment in Kyle's jade eyes as he answered gently, "I only know one person who's worth all the time in the world, Kye. And that's you."

He was caught off guard as Kyle returned the grip on Stan's shoulders and pressed their foreheads together. Their noses were touching, their inaudible breaths meshing between them as he felt the shape of Kyle's words hit against his strangely hungry lips,

"That's fucking amazing."

Their eyes met as Stan inquired, "What is?"

"You, you fuck."

"Me?"

"No, dipshit, Cartman. Yes, you."

Stan felt the red creeping into his face as he interviewed, "Why?"

"You can always do that. You see? That's why I don't need a girlfriend, cause you make my heart feel like it's bursting already. It's gay, but being around you fills me up to the brim and a girlfriend would be a waste. I'll leave the girls for the boys who still need them, cause having you is more than enough."

"Seriously?"

Kyle looked away, smiling as his freckles disappeared incognito behind his fluster, "Yeah, I mean, when you're away or I'm away all I can think of is that I want to call you and talk to you and hang out again. It's like no one is as important as you, dude."

"No, dude, I know exactly what you're talking about!" Stan exclaimed.

Kyle moved his eyes back to Stan's, "Really?"

"Yeah! I get the same way when we're not hanging out!"

"And then when I'm at school, it's like…I just want it to be you and me cause…" Kyle laughed, "everyone else sucks compared to you!"

"Dude, shut up! I think the same shit! No one's as cool as you, Kye, no one."

The redhead simpered, "Nothing, dude."

Stan cocked a brow, "What?"

"I said nothing. Nothing can compare to you."

Something akin to a magic spell fell over Stan and he couldn't control his body as it moved forward and covered Kyle's lips with his own. His brows curved when he found just how painfully wonderful Kyle's lush mouth felt against his, his hands gripped more tightly at the other boy's shoulders, forcing his tongue through to Kyle's. He deepened the kiss, as he did he could feel the nervous hold of Kyle's dainty fingers loosening and almost shaking. He could feel the resistance in the kiss, the utter shock as he explored his best friend's mouth while sparks flew behind his eyelids. His heart was pounding, echoing in his face and heating up his ears and sending the strange tingles through his feet and legs and back and chest and neck. That throbbing want reappeared in that strange place it repetitively did but began to travel through his entire body. It kicked his heart, forcing all the blood in his body to travel at ten times the speed it normally did and it made him hot and shaky and just as the world he used to know deteriorated around him he heard, or rather, _felt_ a soft moan vibrate through to his throat from Kyle's. The sound of a boy's low voice snapped Stan back into reality, forcing him to realize who it was again he was shoving his tongue down and he instantaneously pulled away. He huffed, moving his wide, indigo eyes to Kyle's dazed and flustered expression. The movie was playing shadows across Kyle's face and giving his emerald eyes a look like rings of acidic miasma in the dark of the room as they slowly met with Stan's.

"Wha—" Kyle started, but Stan interrupted,

"That wasn't…uhm…" He took his hands away from Kyle, breaking away by a foot as he finished, "…I didn't…mean that, I just…you just said something…it sounded like something Wendy would say and…I just…sorry."

The redhead's expression was defeated and almost pained as he muttered, "Oh…i-it's okay, Stan."

Stan suddenly found his fidgeting fingers much more interesting as he responded quietly, "This will stay between us, right? No one will ever hear about this, right?"

He looked up to catch only a glimpse of the vanquished, wistful and utterly desolate countenance of his friend, which confused him terribly before the boy covered it up with a mask of indifference. His feminine, lanky arm rose as he waved it off, smiling as he assured, "No, no, no one will hear about it, dude, I'd…I'd never do that to you."

There was a moment of silence before Stan suggested, "Uhm…maybe…I should go…"

Kyle immediately twisted to his friend with a shocked face and his brows curved sadly, "N-no! No, no, no, you don't have to go! Don't go!"

Stan's body tensed as Kyle lurched forward and hugged him tightly, completely unaware of the tears edging their way in front of Kyle's beautiful eyes as he repeated,

"No, don't go. You don't have to go, this doesn't have to make us…not cool. We'll always be cool. No matter what, you could fucking carve out my heart, Stan and I'd still lo—be your friend, Stan…don't go…I told you, it's always better when you're around and when you're not around, all I want is for you to be around. So don't go."


	2. I'm With You

**R&R please, I love to hear opinions. :3**

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Stan did end up staying for the two weeks, and although Stan felt a tinge of awkwardness the first day, Kyle didn't seem to. Or at least Kyle acted that way. The redhead was determined to keep Stan Marsh by his side, and so if pretending that the best kiss of his life never occurred would make Stan feel better, then that was exactly what he would do. He made all the meals and made himself a constant source of entertainment no matter the hour or day; he had to prove to Stan that he was still worth it. He was scared that after their kiss, which Stan had blamed on impulse in memory of his girlfriend, he would run from Kyle. He couldn't let that happen. He acted like it never happened; praying that Stan wouldn't leave him behind; because what he said was genuine. Everything was better when Stan was with him. He could be pushed into a corner, lynched or stoned, but if Stan were there, he wouldn't be scared. However, those horrifying situations were not the ones he dealt with day-to-day and he depended more on Stan to make homework not-so-painful. That worked, though, too. Stan's very presence was a divine experience for Kyle, but he never voiced those kinds of thoughts, because those thoughts would scare away the one light of good in his life.

His parents were strict and cheap, his brother was annoying and nosey, Cartman was constantly plotting against him and he was without a car, money and noted talent. But when Stan walked into the room everything lit up and he was okay. The world could crumble and fall at his very feet, but as long he could look into Stan's gorgeous, azure eyes as he descended with existence, everything would be fine. Really, completely, entirely, sincerely fine.

"You really watch New York's show? That one where she goes to Hollywood, seriously?" Kyle cringed.

Stan laughed out, "Dude, I'm sorry, I just love to see train-wrecks like her destroy whatever dignity she had left! It's too good, man."

Kyle shook his head, "I can't stand it, it's pathetic. She's actually such a mess of a human being that I can't watch her. Everything she does and says is so unpleasant and unrealistic that I feel awkward and uncomfortable _for_ her."

Stan just laughed at his friend; pity that he couldn't get joy out of other people's misery like Stan could. Then again, Kyle was very empathetic and sensitive, much more so than Stan. The charcoal-haired boy had been fairly perturbed by their uncalled-for kiss, but not because it wasn't pleasant. He was actually bothered because of the complete opposite. The issue was that he did enjoy it. Not only that, but his body had experienced something like an epileptic seizure when he kissed him; shaky limbs, racing heart, waves of heat and strange sensations. He had even seen fireworks, _felt_ them. He had never felt anything like that before, and throughout the two weeks he spent with Kyle, those wanting throbs reappeared when Kyle would say something cute or do something out of character. Stan pushed those thoughts aside, though. He blamed it on…well, he wasn't quite sure what to blame it on now, but there must have been an explanation for it all. It was their last day together on their cut-vacation, a Friday afternoon and school was about to let out. He had a date planned for him and Wendy and he hoped that the sight of a beautiful girl would take his mind off his beautiful friend and their beautiful kiss. He was in the doorway, looking at Kyle descending the stairs into the living-room in his towel again, but this time Kyle was holding a smaller hand-towel to his hair as he ruffled his silky locks. He looked to Stan, simpering in the princely way he always did as he quizzed,

"Going to meet up with Wendy now?"

Stan was astounded at the fact that he could be practically mutated onto his friend for two weeks and still feel sad leaving. He even planned on coming back that evening for another sleep over, but the very idea of being parted for even a few hours crushed his spirits. He smiled back, answering,

"Yeah. I'll have my cell on me if anything awesome happens."

Kyle rolled his eyes, taking hold of the railing as he replied, "Nothing ever does."

Stan began to feel that all-too familiar throbbing at the sight of his half-naked Super Best Friend again, so he looked away and told him, "Alright, well, I'll be back in like…an hour or two."

Stan closed the door and sighed, watching his breath form in front of him. It was especially cold that day and he wondered if it was an omen of more bitchiness from Wendy to come, but thoughts of Wendy tended to make his head hurt, so he moved onto more pleasant memories of Kyle. Kyle was a wonderfully giving person. He was diabetic, so he was always concerned with what he was eating, but he had baked cookies and awesome desserts for Stan all those nights. Stan would, from time to time, lure Kyle into eating some of his delicious treats, but for the most part he was very stubborn. Stan loved that, though. He loved the way Kyle would cross his arms and slant his pout and furrow one brow at Stan in blatant disapproval. He even loved the way Kyle would hold his own waist like a girl when he would criticize Stan or yell at him. He wondered if it was just his air, if Kyle himself was just a completely perfect human being; an oddity that Stanley Marsh just fortunately stumbled upon. At remembering his kiss with the boy Stan could sense the feeling of Kyle's semi-conscious kiss on his thumb. Before his thoughts could get any stranger he finally entered the ice-cream parlor where he promised to meet Wendy. He spotted her in a booth and sat across from her, greeting,

"Hi, Wendy."

"Hi, Stan. How are you?"

There was a heavy layer of discomfort between them, as their last interaction resulted in a weird argument. Stan resolved to answer in the most basic of forms,

"Alright. You?"

"Ugh, you don't even want to know! I had Bebe over this weekend—remember how I told you on the phone that I had her over?"

"Yeah, I remember." He answered despondently.

She rolled her caramel eyes, "Yeah, well, she came over and she was totally being a bitch about me always talking about you. And I was like 'He's my boyfriend, what do you expect me to do?' and she was being totally unreasonable! She just would not shut up about how it's so hard for her to hear about my great love life while she doesn't have a boy friend and she's totally…"

Stan felt like he was being talked at. It was frustrating, but he decided he wouldn't entirely listen to her gab on about her and her melodramatic friends. He smirked at remembering Kyle's accusation that Bebe secretly pined after his girlfriend. He began wondering if Kyle was right; after all, Kyle was normally right about everything. He slumped his face in his palm, muting Wendy's voice out as she ranted and raved while talking with her hands. Stan thought about Kyle's hands and how insecure and elegant they felt against his shoulders when they kissed. He thought about how silk and warm and world-changing the kiss itself had been. His heart started racing again at the very thought, his face turning a slight shade of pink as he stared blankly at his furious girlfriend. He could almost see Kyle replacing her, almost hear his voice over hers; and then, he saw it. Slowly Kyle's pretty face took over Wendy's and her small arms were replaced by Kyle's athletic ones. His voice covered hers with things he always said or inside jokes or funny stories; Stan wasn't sure, he wasn't entirely paying attention because he was so consumed with thoughts of Kyle.

He wondered then, why was Kyle everywhere? He felt worry fill his blood-vessels as he realized all those thoughts he pushed aside were flooding his brain and forcing him to confront them. The first thought that rose against him was that of an angered Kyle; his blush deepened at the image in his mind. He loved it when Kyle got angry. His stomach twisted into butterflies again as he knew that he loved it because he loved to see Kyle want his attention, he loved it when Kyle wanted Stan's eyes to only be on him. The next thought was that of his foreign, physical reaction to finding his friend half-naked on his parents' bed. His brain simply answered him; _It's because you want him in your pants._

He blushed furiously, his heart pounding as clarity finally washed over him and he knew, then; he knew why Kyle seemed so perfect. He was perfect to Stan, he was perfect _for_ Stan. He knew then, why Kyle was in his first thought when he parted with Wendy; it was because he _would_ rather be with Kyle. He knew why having a fight with Kyle never meant feeling uncomfortable like it did with Wendy. He knew why Kyle was so much fun, he knew why his revealed body made his heart jump into his throat, he knew why Kyle's feminine side caught his attention, he knew why Kyle was the only one he needed. He knew why Kyle's kiss was monumentally breath-taking. It was because that was how a kiss was supposed to feel. However, he had spent all those years running after Wendy and chasing after Wendy when the one he loved was beside him all along. He hadn't even noticed he loved Kyle, even while Kyle wore the name-tag that proved he was Stan Marsh's and only Stan Marsh's; the very word that wrapped up his feelings for his Super Best Friend. It was one syllable, one meaning, and could never be renamed, re-used or replaced, it was as elementary as the simple fact that Kyle was prettier than any girl at school and it was as warming and securing as an atomic bomb in reverse. It was the very thing Wendy had feared.

"_It's not that I don't mind, really…it's just that…it's always better when I'm with you."_

"_You can always do that. You see? That's why I don't need a girlfriend, cause you make my heart feel like it's bursting already. It's gay, but being around you fills me up to the brim and a girlfriend would be a waste. I'll leave the girls for the boys who still need them, cause having you is more than enough."_

"_I said nothing. Nothing can compare to you."_

Stan felt his lips spreading into a confident grin, it was all so clear now that he allowed the thoughts to linger. The puzzle pieces all fell together; he knew, then, that Kyle didn't mind his nickname because he _wanted_ to belong to Stan. And Stan would see to it that Kyle would. He abruptly stood, causing Wendy to pause in her fustian and melt back into herself as she asked, "…what?"

Enlightenment had dawned on his face as he looked down at her and announced,

"I'm…I'm sorry, Wendy, but…but I can't be your boyfriend anymore."

Her face shrank into horror; her popularity-fed ego in disbelief that someone was breaking up with her, especially the boy who had longed more greatly for her than anyone else for so long.

"W-what? What are you talking about?"

"Kye…"

Her pupils dilated in disgust, "What?"

"Kye, you…you were right about him. And you were right about one other thing; you said that I had to make sacrifices for the one I loved the most. So, I'm sorry, Wendy, but I've got to tell him what I've given up for him."

With that, he left the frantically disturbed school-idol speechless in the parlor and ran towards the route to Kyle's house. He raced as fast as he could, his legs burning and chest inhaling frigid but charred air as the butterflies that had taken residence in his stomach must have melted into his back and given him wings to rush his speed. And just like his enamored blood, his speed increased by tenfold and he was in front of Kyle's house in just minutes. He reasoned that Kyle probably wouldn't open the door and would instead have decided to nap on his parent's bed again. He climbed up the tree and fell into his friend's window again, landing violently on his face, but he shook it off with a wide grin taking up any room for a hint of a frown. He sprinted into the master bedroom and lo and behold, the redhead was sunken into the comforters again, but rather than the first time Stan had found him in the identical spot, he was quite awake. He cocked a brow at what must have been the look of madness across Stan's excited face, but before he could even sound out the first word to his several questions, Stan had stolen his lips in a furious kiss. Kyle's reaction was delayed and shocked, but eventually his arms wrapped around Stan's neck as the ebony-haired boy lowered him back down onto the swollen blankets that had exported waves of feathers when Stan jumped onto the boy. His sizable hands ran over Kyle's still moist chest and neck, cupping his cheek as his other hand held him over the boy. His eagerness took over, though, and he let himself collapse onto the Jew completely, both of his hands holding fast to his jaw as the sparks flew and their hearts beat in synchronized thunderstorms against each other.

They broke away, gasping for air before Stan demanded, "Quick, give me a nickname!"

"Wh-what?" Kyle stammered.

"A nickname! Call me by a name only you can call me by!"

"Uhm…uh…uhm…doesn't Stan count? It's just your name shortened…"

Stan blushed more deeply as a smile spread across him again; Kyle was so in sync with him.

"Yeah. As long as I belong to you, Kye. As long as you're only mine, okay?"

"What are you talking about? You're not making any sense…"

"I love you."

The redhead's face filled with red, eliciting a chuckle from Stan as he leaned forward, lightly kissing him before ordering, "Now say it back, Kye. I know you want to."

"I-I-but…Wendy? Wendy, what about Wendy?"

"Forget her." Stan smirked, "She's not worth our time. I'll leave her for Bebe, who really needs her. Why would I need her when I've got you? So go on, Kye, tell me you love me."

"I…I love you, Stan."

"You know, Wendy said that all the time, but somehow…" Stan kissed him again before finishing, "…everything's better when it's with you."


End file.
